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Public Health Emergencies

Public health is about preventing illness and promoting wellness for everyone. Simple daily actions can make a big difference in keeping yourself and your community healthy. Washing your hands regularly and avoiding touching your face helps reduce the spread of germs, and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow protects those around you. Keeping spaces clean by regularly disinfecting commonly touched surfaces at home, at work, and in public areas also reduces the risk of infection. Staying home when you are sick limits contact with others and helps prevent the spread of illness. Maintaining healthy habits such as eating well, staying active, getting enough sleep, and managing stress supports your immune system and overall wellbeing. Following guidance from trusted public health authorities ensures that you stay informed and make safe choices. Every small action contributes to a safer, healthier community for yourself, your loved ones, and those around you.

Pandemics

A pandemic is a widespread disease outbreak that affects multiple countries and a large number of people. Most pandemics are caused by easily transmissible viruses, spreading rapidly from person to person. New viruses can emerge anywhere and quickly spread worldwide, making it difficult to predict when or where the next pandemic will occur.

What to Do If a Pandemic Is Declared:

  • Practice Good Hygiene: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Maintain Social Distance: Stay at least six feet away from individuals outside your household.
  • Wear a Mask: Cover your nose and mouth with a mask in public settings.
  • Sanitize Your Environment: Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, phones, and countertops.
  • Limit Outings: Stay home as much as possible to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
  • Follow Official Guidance: Stay informed and adhere to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

By taking these precautions, you can help protect yourself and others during a pandemic. To learn more about pandemics and how to protect yourself and loved ones, visit the California Department of Public Health's Respiratory Virus Dashboard.

Cold and Flu

Protecting yourself from cold and flu is important because these illnesses can spread easily and affect not only your health but also the health of those around you. By taking simple precautions like washing your hands, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick, and maintaining healthy habits, you reduce the risk of infection, prevent outbreaks, and help keep your family, coworkers, and community safe.

Here's how you can stop the spread:

  • Wash your hands often, with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs are spread this way.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
  • If you are sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine).
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands in soap and water.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.